Expats over 60 and with underlying conditions can register for free Covid vaccinations in June & July

[Brierley]

2 minutes ago, Bkk Brian said:

I think its the web based version only, I just got the screenshot posted by R.B. on twitter.

 

The link to screenshot is here https://twitter.com/ThaiNewsReports/status/1389736788302852098

 

That's seriously unhelpful and unproductive news, just when they were doing so well!

[Saltire]

4 hours ago, Jingthing said:

OMG, that kind of gloating about having that I.D. and insults and disdain for those that don't is really rich.

Dude, unless you're a permanent resident or Thai citizen, having a 100 Thai adjacent cards in your wallet doesn't increase your immigration status ONE IOTA more than those that don't.

For example I'm on annual retirement extensions. If you're on an extension, your residence rights here have the same time constraints.

As NON-immigrants. Yes, basically very long term tourists. 

Hear well, I'm not knocking people that have these I.D.s. But I find it disgusting to hear the superior dance of expats of those that do in the middle of pandemic, and the snarky insinuations that the I.D. holding expats are worthy of vaccine access and those without it aren't. 

Many of us that don't have them were barely even aware of them before and/or never encountered an occasion where we might need them. 

As far as driver's licenses, if you don't drive, then ... 

As far as what's involved in getting them. please don't mislead. That depends on your specific locality and to suggest all expats get them now in the middle of a serious third wave where things are complicated by all kinds of restrictions, is basically nuts. 

Gloating is correct, I have seen several childish remarks on this topic from supposed grown ups.

Tryiing to score brownie points in a pandemic.

 

 

[pixelaoffy]

Read this from another Thai news paper today. You ain't getting the vaccine even if registered with mor prom  app 

[Saltire]

This topic should be closed its a moot point now no vaccine till 'later'

 

Time for breakfast

 

And don't forget, 'A pad krapow a day keeps covid away'

 

 

Edited May 5, 2021 by Saltire

[Fromas]

"The vaccines right now are only reserved for Thai people who are now at a high-risk level or living in the severe outbreak areas," said spokesman Rungrueng Kitphati.

 

Really hope that she meant a specific phase in the rollout and it was a misunderstanding.

 

Or else, it is really SICKENING. To exclude high-risk foreign resident for a few political points!

[mtls2005]

Offering vaccines to foreigners, directly from the government (for free or for a fee) was always going to be a bad look for the regime.

 

Allowing well-off Thais access to "better" vaccines at private hospitals for a price also has a bad look.

 

Not particularly shocking that the regime has done a u-turn, expect several more along the way.

 

 

 

[Fromas]

This cannot be overstated, the authorities should focus entirely on public health and not politics.

If they want to avoid bad looks, they should have cleaned up their act and followed scientific guidelines scrupulously. No scandals, no flip-flops.

[simon43]

Well, I'm happy that I moved from Thailand a few years ago to live in the 'poor' country of Laos, where Covid-19 vaccinations are free for all (Lao citizens and foreigners), and where vaccinations are well underway.

 

I had my first jab of AZ vaccine a few days ago in Luang Prabang, at a very-well organised vaccination station, where every person (Lao and foreigner) was made welcome and treated equally!

 

If poor little Laos can do this, why can't Thailand?

[sandyf]

14 hours ago, sambum said:

 

" It should be borne in mind that an awful lot more people have had dengue than been vaccinated."

 

??? 

If you are trying to ask a question, the answer is that dengue causes the same condition that appeared in the few that had a serious problem with the vaccine. Think about it, the media didn't.

The low platlet count post vaccine only came to light because of a very rare knock on effect.

[Bkk Brian]

2 minutes ago, sandyf said:

If you are trying to ask a question, the answer is that dengue causes the same condition that appeared in the few that had a serious problem with the vaccine. Think about it, the media didn't.

The low platlet count post vaccine only came to light because of a very rare knock on effect.

As a side note, I remember in the early stages of the outbreak in Thailand there was some debate about the similarities of Dengue and Covid 19 symptoms which led some people to speculate that before the wider availability of pcr tests some people may have been misdiagnosed with Dengue rather than Covid? There was also another case of suspected Dengue and Covid being diagnosed in the same person.

 

Anyway just for note.

 

https://www.cdc.gov/dengue/is-it-dengue-or-covid.html

 

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33331264/

[sandyf]

13 hours ago, Sheryl said:

I had never registered at the hospital where I got my appointment. The Line app does not seem to require it or check for. Does not, for example, request hospital number...and withuyt that it would be impossible in many cases to check since most people register at hospitals with their names in English, not Thai as must be entered into the Line program.

The appointment is not related to any registered hospital, nor it would appear where your medical records are.

My sister in law used to live in Bangkok and used and continues to use a hospital there. She moved back to Chonburi in 2013 and then we went along to Chonburi when they started the free flu jabs(2015?), I was accepted but she was turned away, had to get a new Tabian Baan, ID and register at the hospital, has only ever been there for the free flu jabs, continues to drive to Bangkok for everything else.

On Saturday she registered on the app, entered all her details and made an appointment at the same hospital as me, Bang Saen.

My wife on the other hand who also uses the same hospital in Bangkok but is not registered at Chonburi, cannot access the app.

[SiSePuede419]

On 5/3/2021 at 6:17 PM, vandeventer said:

Why are they making it such a big deal to get a vaccine? And they won't even tell you what vaccine they are giving you. I

Yeah, what's the big deal about a virus that's already killed 3,240,585 people and given countless others "long haul" syndrome, not to mention the others with no symptoms but now have underlying heart damage or increased risk of deadly stroke? 

 

Maybe they can't tell you what kind of vaccine you're going to get because it's CLASSIFIED and you don't have a clearance or a "need to know"? 

 

Seriously, get any vaccine you can.  Something is better than nothing. 

 

You can always get a different kind 6-12 months from now when they're available for a price at private hospitals.

[fulhamster]

1 minute ago, SiSePuede419 said:

You can always get a different kind 6-12 months from now when they're available for a price at private hospitals.

Which ones ??

None in Pattaya have any

[sandyf]

4 hours ago, Brierley said:

I have visited my local PRIVATE hospital on a regular basis over the years, I am registered there and all my records are there, none of which helps me because private hospitals are not involved with the current program. And I'm not sure why you would assume that many expats visit government hospitals, from  my experience over twenty two years, nearly all visit private hospitals.

Exactly. And of those that do use government hospitals many will have been here some time, and like myself registered at the hospital with their passport. When I got my pink card I re-registered at the hospitals but I suspect very few bothered, I know of one old expat at my hospital that has that problem.

I did not have to register on the app, the hospital did it for me, I doubt that there are many in the same position.

[mtls2005]

46 minutes ago, simon43 said:

If poor little Laos can do this, why can't Thailand?

 

Think you answered your own question, "little". Well, that and incompetence of course.

 

With barely a tenth the population, scale is less of an issue.

 

They still only "plan" to vaccinate ~ 20% of the population this year.

 

Thailand has, quite obviously, administered more vaccinations than Laos to date.

 

 

 

 

[HaoleBoy]

I hope moving forward that any foreign gov donating money to Thailand - be it vaccines or other medical needs - stipulates that Thai gov vaccinate foreigners as well as Thais.  With the Australian gov donating 68 M THB to Thailand, but now the Thai gov states that Thais will be vaccinated before any farangs is pure <deleted>!

 

With all the corruption in this gov here, they should force some level of transparency before donating any money here too!

[Jingthing]

2 hours ago, Bkk Brian said:

I think its the web based version only, I just got the screenshot posted by R.B. on twitter.

 

...

 

 

Screenshot not shown because of source. 

 

Wow. That's harsh. But it's totally predictable that access for expats would be a political football.  Deflect anger at the government towards those inscrutable occidentals. That's the ticket! 

Edited May 5, 2021 by Jingthing

[Brierley]

I never thought I'd actually see those words in print, that's pretty stunning, especially given it's an English language newspaper and the audience is clearly foreigners.

[Whale]

I don't know why everyone is getting into a tizzy over this. If you go and read exactly what Rungrueng Kitphati actually said you will find it to be perfectly acceptable and he does not say what you are led to believe he said by the media. 

[jackdd]

2 minutes ago, Whale said:

I don't know why everyone is getting into a tizzy over this. If you go and read exactly what Rungrueng Kitphati actually said you will find it to be perfectly acceptable and he does not say what you are led to believe he said by the media. 

Why don't you provide a quote of what he said then?

[Jingthing]

9 minutes ago, Brierley said:

I never thought I'd actually see those words in print, that's pretty stunning, especially given it's an English language newspaper and the audience is clearly foreigners.

Honesty about bad news is better than gaslighting.

Edited May 5, 2021 by Jingthing

[Brierley]

3 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Honesty about bad news is better than gaslighting.

You're fixated on that word, stop it.

[Jingthing]

1 minute ago, Brierley said:

You're fixated on that word, stop it.

Thanks for the note, editor 

[John Drake]

What did all of you really expect? 

[Saltire]

Forgetting about us foreigners for a second, has anyone seen a report on what the several million migrant workers are supposed to do to register for a free vaccine?

 

I suspect we are all in the same boat.

 

 

 

 

[Dogmatix]

8 minutes ago, Saltire said:

Forgetting about us foreigners for a second, has anyone seen a report on what the several million migrant workers are supposed to do to register for a free vaccine?

 

I suspect we are all in the same boat.

 

the MoPH earlier said exployers will have to pay for their migrant workers' vaccines.  Some large employers like Thai Union will do that but most SMEs will not want to pay and those employing illegals definitely not.  No plans for roll out to migrants or indication of pricing anyway.

[Saltire]

1 minute ago, Dogmatix said:

 

the MoPH earlier said exployers will have to pay for their migrant workers' vaccines.  Some large employers like Thai Union will do that but most SMEs will not want to pay and those employing illegals definitely not.  No plans for roll out to migrants or indication of pricing anyway.

Thanks

 

Just adds to the impending shambles.

 

 

[Pib]

 

A Bangkok Hospital Group announcement as of 4 May 2021.

 

https://www.bangkokhospital.com/en/content/not-yet-open-for-booking-of-alternative-vaccine

 

[Dogmatix]

I wonder what they will do with the expats who show up for their appointments after registering in good faith.  <deleted> off ?

[simon43]

1 hour ago, mtls2005 said:

 

Think you answered your own question, "little". Well, that and incompetence of course.

 

With barely a tenth the population, scale is less of an issue.

 

They still only "plan" to vaccinate ~ 20% of the population this year.

 

Thailand has, quite obviously, administered more vaccinations than Laos to date.

 

 

 

 

No, my rhetorical question was not about the smaller population of Laos.  It was asking why Laos considers local citizens and foreigners completely equal in their right to receive free vaccinations, and Thailand has stated that Thais come first. AFAIK, the Covid virus doesn't do a passport check.....